Discuss/Evaluate Baba Brinkman's introduction to his Rap Canterbury Tales project. Does his work make Chaucer more accessible to a new generation or provide a better understanding of Chaucer? On the development of literature in Britain? Are Brinkman's translations any less "scholarly" than those you read in the Penguin Canterbury Tales? Share your thoughts on The Rap Canterbury Tales!
Due Friday 9/25
46 comments:
Baba Brinkman’s reinterpretation of Geoffrey Chaucer’s masterpiece The Canterbury Tales is certainly an intriguing take on a classic sample of literature. He lays plain his inspiration, his investigation, his intentions, and his methodology in the decidedly lengthy introduction to his work. Whilst both his translation and his perspective are unquestionably atypical, it is plainly evident that many of his theses are not necessarily novel. However, this does not in any manner distract from the inescapable truth that this reworking of a cornerstone of English literature is in no respect scholastically inferior to any previous rendition in that it perfectly satisfies its purpose of occupying a recently-abandoned niche in entertainment at the time of the publication of each version.
With his “Rap Canterbury Tales”, Brinkman has taken an extremely uncommon approach to a revival of a literary classic. In explaining his point, Brinkman puts forth several noteworthy theses. It is important, nevertheless, to realize that many of Brinkman’s ideas are not revolutionary. Indeed, his discussion on the nature of rhythmic and rhyming patterns contains relatively little information hitherto unrevealed. Furthermore, the effect Chaucer had on modern literature has long since been known. Yet Brinkman does in fact succeed in presenting a heretofore veiled connection between the modern hip-hop movement and Chaucer’s stylistic conventions. His argument hinges on the theory that Chaucer’s works in the aspects both of content and of literary devices are similar to those of rap, not necessarily the basis thereof. And, because of the flamboyant parallels, they both appeal(ed) to their respective audiences for the very same reasons. Chaucer’s Tales was considered somewhat vulgar at the time of its publication, not very much unlike rap music nowadays. Rap music thrives on competition; just as The Canterbury Tales is naught more than an archaic “rap-battle” in and of itself, relying solely on the competitive nature of humans as the driving factor throughout. Rap is a progressive medium for entertainment just as Chaucer’s work was then. Brinkman makes all these points and others as he ties the two together. He, having therefore shed a different light on the previously-understood impacts of Chaucer on literature, augments, to a relatively modest degree (but augments nonetheless), an already vast collection of knowledge.
In terms of its academic properties, there is no reason whatsoever as to why Brinkman’s reiteration should be considered invalid or unfit. Brinkman only does exactly what The Canterbury Tales did in the first place over again. He uses a progressive (then-iambic pentameter, now-rap) medium to convey to audiences a series of stories to which they can effortlessly relate for the purpose of entertainment and possibly enlightenment. While for certain Brinkman’s interpretation of “The Knight’s Tale” is devoid of approximately eighty per cent of the original text, he raises the point that Boccaccio’s original episode was in fact five times longer than Chaucer’s even. And was not the general consensus of the class, upon discussion of the story, that there were unnecessary and obnoxiously long commentaries and descriptions of seemingly unimportant aspects of the tale throughout? Brinkman clearly has updated the tale to the modern audience then, if we view ourselves as that audience. Although the majority of the text itself is missing, the gist of the story and the message remains. Furthermore, Brinkman never outright claims that his version does justice to Chaucer’s. Quite alternatively, he adamantly suggests that the reader attempts to navigate the entirety of the tales in their original form (Middle English), going so far as to even suggest a particular volume and offer pronunciation advice. Clearly, he understands that his adaptation is not nearly on the same level as Chaucer’s at all. But, by his elaborate introduction and statement of purpose, he explains rather plainly that he never exactly meant to do so. Ultimately, the question is this: does Brinkman’s piece deliver the entire story? No. Does it render anew the mood, message, and stylistic ingenuity that Chaucer’s original accomplished, while simultaneously managing to maintain an entertaining and interesting atmosphere? Absolutely: it is presented in rhyme, using various stylistic nuances and idiosyncrasies that captivate the audience yet do not interrupt the overall message of the story. It is written in an innovative rhythm pattern, and uses both chiasmic and polysyllabic rhyming mechanisms. Furthermore, they are both intended to be heard, not read. This is perhaps the greatest likeness between them.
In summation, Brinkman supplies a new and somewhat peculiar take on Chaucer’s impact on literature both immediately and long-term, that, while comprehensive, is not necessarily all ground-breaking. His interpretation of The Canterbury Tales, on the other hand, is very original, but in no way whatsoever inferior to the first in terms of its impact on its audience and its manner of performance. Even the “real” version contains subject matter that reflects the modern attitude towards entertainment via the hip-hop movement and its audible form, rap music. “The Rap Canterbury Tales”, while in no sense of the word is perfect, it does what it was intended to do. For that, Baba Brinkman should at least be commended.
Baba Brinkman’s translation of The Canterbury Tales is certainly a unique approach to Chaucer’s literature. Brinkman’s link between The Canterbury Tales and rap is so different from mainstream ideas that many feel his theses are invalid but I have to disagree. The introduction to Brinkman’s paper shows the great detail and knowledge he put into his rendition of The Canterbury Tales. Just because his ideas are uncommon doesn’t mean they are scholastically inferior to other works. Just like any other thesis, Brinkman backs up his ideas with many valid points. For his work to be unscholarly Brinkman wouldn’t have included information and knowledge to support his theses. Brinkman’s work also makes Chaucer more accessible to the new generation. By translating the stories into rap the works are more appealing to young adults. By putting The Canterbury Tales in a more familiar medium it is easier for this generation to understand and relate to it. By doing this Brinkman has made is easier for this timeless literature to live on in a period where it no longer is as popular.
Baba Brinkman’s project of rapping the Canterbury Tales was very unique and interesting. It was fun to see how something as simple and classic as the Canterbury Tales can be recreated into a popular modern day style. From Chaucer’s time to ours, the English language has had several different modifications to it. Therefore, the language used in Chaucer’s stories can be difficult to read and understand. The use of Middle English seen in Chaucer’s stories is extinct. A lot of people will not be able to understand parts of his stories. The use of rap will help people understand the stories in the Canterbury Tales more clearly. People of today’s generation are able to comprehend the rap language because it is so widely used in today’s society. The poetry style originally used in this story can be compared to the rap style used today. Therefore, by modernizing the Canterbury Tales into the present day rap style, Chaucer’s work can be understood and accessible to today’s generation.
I also think that rapping the Canterbury Tales can help the development of literature in England. Today, rap is known universally. Many people from different areas of the world are familiar with the rap style. Therefore, rapping the Canterbury Tales will have a similar effect on England as it will have on the United States. The younger generation in England will be more prone to learn about Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales through modern day rap then Middle English. Rapping the Canterbury Tales is a fun learning experience and a way for Chaucer’s stories to spread quickly. Also, this new form of Chaucer’s writings will start the revival of other literature pieces from the past. Through rap, people will be able to see how interesting Chaucer’s stories really are. Therefore, many people will begin reading older literature and may even start a rap of their own. It is evident that a massive revival of English literature will begin to take place as the younger generations become more aware of it.
Brinkman’s thesis on how the Canterbury Tales relates to rap is filled with much support and examples. His translations are not any less “scholarly” than the Penguin Canterbury Tales. A
“scholar worthy” translation is anything that has a point, and supports that point with facts and details. Baba Brinkman provides both fact and details in his thesis to the rap of the Canterbury Tales. For example, one of Brinkman’s arguments involved the culture of rap and how it relates to the Canterbury Tales. Rap is essentially a poem put to a rhythm. The Canterbury Tales was written as a poem but in the style of the Vernacular English. Also, in modern day rap, people are always trying to one-up their competitor. In the Canterbury Tales, there is a clear competition between the different social classes. Just as in rap battle, the current story teller is always trying to perform better than the person before them. Because of these very clear and specific relations, it is hard to argue against Brinkman’s thesis.
Also, both his and The Penguin translations touch on the same topics, the same characters, and the same themes. Just because Brinkman’s translation is put to the beat of rap does not down size his work. His rap clearly shows a thorough study of Chaucer’s book as well as the rap culture. It is evident that his translations are as “scholarly” as the original Canterbury Tales.
Reading "Baba's Word" by Baba Brinkman definitely got me thinking. I found it incredibly interesting how he was able to turn difficult Old English poetry into entertaining modern rap.
I found the paper very eye-opening. I learned about the evolution of rap and "freestyle battles," which I didn't even know existed. I understood his thought process as he modernized the story of a group's pilgrimage to Canterbury. I would never have expected someone to perfect their rapping and use it towards creating the Rap Canterbury Tales!
First off, since I did not live in the time of "The Canterbury Tales," I do not know whether or not Geoffrey Chaucer wrote in such a way that was even considered "scholarly" in his time - I think since the 21st century language is so strikingly different, anything written so long ago would seem much more formal and educated than today. Perhaps a majority of the words were considered slang or lower class in those days, like rap is to most today.
I think that the work does indeed make Chaucer more accessible to our teenage generation, but at the same time I think that something is taken away. While the transformation to rap makes more people of our time period willing to listen and easier to understand, things are still lost. This is evident even in the translation to one language to another - although it's possible to get the point across, it's only the point (or gist), and doesn't mean the exact same thing as it did in its original form. Even the Penguin "Canterbury Tales" is probably slightly different from the original version. It's almost like gossip - as the story goes from person to person (or century to century), it changes a little bit, so by the end, in the least drastic cases, small details are different.
Even though the story may not have the same effect, I think that it's great what Baba Brinkman did. Although he may have damaged the piece from a literary perspective, he did not do that from a historical point of view- which is probably why most students read the book in the first place. From his raps, we can gather what people of different genders and societies and classes were going through in the exact same way as if we were reading the book itself.
Baba Brinkman's work is definitely an interesting piece. I think it shows the Canterbury Tales in a new light that is much more accessible to the newer generation. Not only does it change the sentence wording around to more comprehendible words, but its in the style of rap which is very popular today. I personally found it easier to understand. Plus, when its in a rap, it has a flow that's very continuous while when I read Chaucer's version I had to constantly stop to make out what he wrote. I also think that the rhythmic beat adds to the value of the story. I do think, though, that the word change does take away from the scholarly aspect of The Canterbury Tales. Part of the thing that made the tales so special was the word choice and the fact that it was in English. When compared to previous written documents, you can see a distinct difference with not only the way it is formed, but also the word choice. The tale is a poem which makes in unique for that time period as well. Although, I do have to say it stuck pretty close to the tales plot line. It didn't veer off into another plot line or change the image I had in my head when I was reading the original version. One thing that I thought was interesting when I was reading this is that the vernacular back when this was written is sort of like how the dialect of rap is now. The vernacular was looked down upon and so is rap lingo to an extent. They are and were the commoners dialect. I also thought it was very interesting how someone could effectively and fairly accurately compare a classical piece of writing with rap music. I found it surprising yet entertaining at the same time. I think I started to enjoy the Canterbury Tales after reading some of the rap version because the parts I didn't understand, I all of the sudden got. I also started to understand the humor that was behind the confusing words thanks to the rap. Overall, the rap may take away from the tales academically and looking at if from a historians view point, but as a whole, I thought it was refreshing and surprising that there was actual support to back up his thesis.
Baba Brinkman’s thesis on the Canterbury Tales was defiantly an interesting subject to read. In the begging I thought to myself how is Baba going to strongly support his thesis that rap has some relation to the Canterbury Tales. But as I kept reading I discovered that there was indeed a relationship between the two topics. He definitely succeed in making Chaucer’s points in such away that today’s youth could be entertained and also better comprehend what Chaucer was trying to say back then. I especially liked his explanation about the relationship between rap battles and the Canterbury tales. He explained that in the Canterbury tales the characters were competing to see who could tell the best story while maintaining the rhyme scheme. He related this to rap battles where MC’s compete to see who can rhyme the best while basically trashing their opponent which I thought was very similar to what the characters in the Canterbury Tales were doing.
Baba’s relationship between rap and the Canterbury Tales can also be accessible in Britain since rap has spread to all parts of the world and is still becoming more and more popular. This means that Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales could be taught to the younger generation in Britain just as it would in the United States or anywhere else where rap is popular. Also I believe that Baba Brinkman’s translations of the Canterbury tales are not any less “scholarly” since Chaucer’s book was written in vernacular or “English Language”. Back then Latin was considered to be the language of educated people so it probably was not considered to be “scholarly” back then either.
Baba Brinkman’s The Rap Canterbury Tales provides modern day readers with a version of the original Canterbury Tales that is easier to understand and more accessible. The original version of the Canterbury Tales and Baba’s The Rap Canterbury Tales are comparable to Da Vinci’s the last supper. Da Vinci created a masterpiece and there was no reason to change it or add anything to it. That is, until the painting started to deteriorate over the years. In an attempt to restore and prolong the painting, various artists redrew some of the details that Da Vinci had originally drawn. This was a good decision, although the painting is no longer 100% Da Vinci’s, his idea can now live on without being drastically changed. Similarly, the Canterbury Tales belongs in its own time period. Although, it can be read and understood even today, the difference between Middle English and present day English just becomes an obstacle to the reader. Baba Brinkman was simply trying to restore the ideas of Chaucer, just like the artists were trying to restore Da Vinci’s the last supper. Due to Baba’s work, the Canterbury Tales has been modernized so that it becomes more relevant to the modern day reader. Chaucer wrote the Canterbury Tales with the intention of having the stories told orally, the rhyming verse would thus have an impact on the listener. But because the language has changed since, the impact was pacified. Because Baba decided to rap these tales using modern day language, the barrier has fallen and Chaucer’s ideas are, for the most part, left untouched. Although Baba Brinkman’s The Rap Canterbury Tales aren’t quite as scholarly, because some of Chaucer’s work was lost, his idea of using modern language that is best told orally helps preserve Chaucer’s work from becoming to irrelevant.
Baba Brinkman’s intro to the Rap Project was one of great persuasion and research. Although many argue that his approach was illogical, I would have to disagree and say that is was simply unique in its own way. Despite his distinctive approach, he still was capable of backing his theories up with accurate information and sufficient detail. In my opinion, I do believe Baba’s work makes Chaucer more accessible to a new generation because he uses terminology in which teens today can relate to. Despite the fact that the language has drastically changed, he still manages to tell the same story. Although the words are now in a completely new context, they still convey the same original themes and messages. Furthermore, by incorporating the text into rap, a very common thing among teens today, Baba was able to easily capture their attention.
However, I do not believe his Rap Project provides a better understanding of Chaucer because by rapping the story, he unintentionally got rid of the distinct dialect between each character. Previously in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, he incorporated personality into each individual’s dialogue. For example, it was clear who was part of a higher social status and who was among the status of individuals such as peasants. When Baba altered Chaucer’s version and turned it into a rap, he lost the aspect of characterization in terms of their channel of communication. In his version, all the characters blended together in tone. Nevertheless, I do not believe his translations are any less scholarly than Chaucer’s. The reason I say this is because Baby was able to support all of his theses with legitimate information and examples. Therefore, even if you disagree with his method, it is difficult to say his theses are incorrect because he does in fact support them. Overall, I believe this rap project will help the development of literature in Britain because the poetic style of rap will spread to all parts of the world. Not only will they learn Baba’s technique, but Chaucer’s basic story line will continue to thrive amongst new generations to come.
Baba Brinkman’s take on Chaucer’s “The Canterbury Tales” was not as interesting to me as his underlying logic behind his interpretation. The direction Brinkman took with “The Canterbury Tales” could be replicated easily with countless other pieces of literature. Brinkman explains that the idea that evolved into his rap project stemmed from thinking about Shakespeare. Any literature following Chaucer’s model would work for Brinkman’s intent. The fact that he chose “The Canterbury Tales” has little significance to me. Yes, Brinkman’s project makes Chaucer, and to a lesser degree all of British literature more accessible. However, I found Brinkman’s introduction and reasoning to do more for British literature than his actually project ever could. Through the background information Brinkman explains how an entire era of literature can be relevant to a generation that would otherwise want nothing to do with it. Hip-hop is so often traced back to its African roots, and while Brinkman’s research was impressively in depth enough to reveal other influences, his connection between hip-hop and (arguably) outdated European poetry surpassed everything else he emphasized.
I really was interested in the connection that Baba Brinkman made between The Canterbury Tales and rapping. He figured that if Shakespeare is considered poetry, then rap could be poetry also. Both have the same aspects: live performances of oral storytelling and lyrical entertainment. Hip-hop and The Canterbury Tales had similar organizational structures. He compared the story-telling aspect of the CT to freestyling in hip-hop/ rap. The characters in the CT have a competition while on the pilgrimage to see who can tell the best story out of all the travelers, which Brinkman thinks is similar to rap battles in the hip-hop community. This was very clever to me because most people probably would have never made those connections, but after reading his paper they make sense to me. However, the paper was very repetitive to me, especially with all the rap and hip-hop terms. Brinkman, in my opinion went too far in that direction because it is most likely that the reader doesn't really care to know about the history of freestyle rapping and all the rapping terms. I was more interested in the connection between the CT and hip-hop. Since the CT were so popular during the Middle Ages it's popularity can be compared to hip-hop and rap these days. His work is beneficial to my generation because it can get kids excited about the CT tales by presenting it in a recognizable area like rapping it. Like we said in class, students could go through their high school and college careers and not even read the CT. Brinkman's raps bring back their importance. I really respect what he did because I never would have thought about this connection. He took a totally unique approach to his paper which is always a good route to take. Even though the paper was a bit repetitive I thought it was a very interesting connection, which is helpful in bringing back the CT and it's importance and popularity that it had during the Middle Ages.
I have never enjoyed rap and so when I heard of a rap version of The Canterbury Tales, I was very skeptical. This said, I was very pleasantly surprised when I heard Baba Brinkman’s modern rendition of the Tales and actually enjoyed it. While the interesting subject matter and lack of irritating sound effects certainly helped, I believe that Baba did a legitimately good job of translating Chaucer’s archaic poetry into a modern form while keeping the feel and themes of the original.
I do not know if Baba’s version of The Canterbury Tales is any more accessible to modern audiences than the original. I do not understand rap in the slightest and so can make no judgments on how the Tales would be received by the average rap fan. I cannot judge the reactions of other people to whom rap is alien but do not listen to my kind of music either. I cannot even judge other fans of my preferred music, metal, as it is probably the most diverse musical genre in the world. Despite all this ambiguity, I know that I enjoyed it and so it is possible (and due to Baba’s success, likely) that other people do too, even if they do not usually listen to rap.
While I cannot judge Baba’s Tales as a rap, it is obvious that the modern language has opened up the Tales’ audience. I imagine that fans of Baba’s Rap Canterbury Tales react similarly to them as Chaucer’s original fans did. While the words are modernized and spoken to a rap beat, the style is largely the same. The simplicity of the beat makes Baba’s Tales much closer to poetry than music, and so the overall style remains similar.
While I’m sure many Canterbury Tales purists would disagree, I don’t believe that Baba’s rap translation is any less scholarly than the traditional translations. In the course of traditional translations, translators have rephrased Chaucer’s entire collection of poems in order to maintain rhyme scheme. Just like the traditional translations, Baba has rephrased the entire work while keeping the story and themes the same. The only difference is that Baba’s translation has been put to a beat.
As to the question of Baba’s translation having an effect on the future of British literature, I’d have to say the effect is minimal. Rewriting the Canterbury Tales was likely just as difficult as the feat of writing the original. There is a reason why epic poets are so rare: the genre is extremely difficult. While traditional rappers are still making big bucks and traditional translations of medieval literature are still selling, I doubt there will be anyone to follow in Baba Brinkman’s footsteps.
Baba Brinkman's piece is an interesting and novel way to look at The Canterbury Tales. I think his connection of vernacular English literature to modern rap music was well supported. He shows how both rap and The Canterbury Tales were progressive forms of verbal expression at their time of creation, that they both were (at their respective times) very capable of keeping the attention of the masses, and that both were considered vulgar and low class at the time. He argues that rap may be seen as high class literature in the future, just as vernacular literature is. As a fan of rap, I found this to be an interesting way to convey the tales in a modern way. I think personally, judging Baba as a rapper, he had a good flow (how the rapper raps his lyrics over the beat), pretty good lyrics, and a slightly annoying voice. I think his music is totally listenable, and is a good update of an archaic book. He successfully updated an old medium to a new popular medium, which possibly may follow the path of vernacular literature. I think personally that rap will be seen in a higher light in the future, as Baba does as well, and maybe some rap albums will be as important in the development of literature as The Canterbury Tales.
Baba Brinkman’s work on the Rap Canterbury Tales was certainly an interesting piece. I was impressed with him having a solid thesis and background to support it with the Rap Canterbury Tales being similar to Geoffrey Chaucer’s the Canterbury Tales. One point that Baba makes is that the Canterbury Tales is written in slang during its time, just as as rap is written in modern day slang. Also Baba feels that story telling is like a rap battle where you try and tell the most interesting story or in a modern day case, have the best rap. Geoffrey Chaucer’s masterpiece is also comparable to the Rap Canterbury Tales because it is easier to understand and more accessible. Canterbury Tales was written in its own time period and was interpreted just as rap is interpreted today, as a different type of mainstream art. The Rap Canterbury Tales is perceived by many as a restoration of Geoffrey Chaucer’s ideas and work. Baba Brinkman’s piece is more relevant to the reader because they can relate and get a better understanding of it. I believe that the Rap Canterbury Tales helps the Canterbury Tales by preventing Geoffrey Chaucer’s work from becoming irrelevant. Overall I learned a lot about the two pieces of work and personally got a better feel for certain tails within the book. The Rap Canterbury Tales showed emotion and feeling which caught my attention. For example, I understood the humor a lot better with the modern language in the rap explaining certain parts of the Canterbury Tales than I did with Chaucer’s original work. I felt Baba Brinkman did a good job of backing up his thesis and sharing his perspective on the Canterbury Tales and trying to relate it to modern day culture for a clearer understanding of the classic.
Baba Brinkman’s unique interpretation of Chaucer’s classic the Canterbury Tales is not only interesting, but it was also successful in achieving Brinkman’s main goal. Brinkman set out to modernize a Middle English poem and return it to its original function as an orally presented form of entertainment. I believe he was successful in this goal. Brinkman took the difficult to understand vernacular of Middle English, and translated it into the modern vernacular favored by today’s many popular rap artists. This allows The Canterbury Tales to be easily understood by anyone who can speak English. Surely, anyone who has grown up in the U.S. or any other English speaking country would be able to comprehend the rhymes of Baba. However, just because Brinkman chose to rap The Canterbury Tales in an effort to provide more appeal to the masses doesn’t make it any less scholarly then it was in Chaucer’s time. Chaucer’s works were extremely vulgar for their time, with stories that really pushed the limit of what was acceptable in that era. He also wrote the Canterbury Tales in the vernacular when Latin was the accepted scholarly language. In fact Chaucer was much like a modern day rapper minus all the “bling.” Brinkman’s raps are similar to what Chaucer’s were in the middle Ages, vulgar and in vernacular. Watching Baba Brinkman perform his raps is nothing short of an experience. At first I thought there was just some mumbling idiot flopping around the stage like he was having a seizure rather then rapping the Canterbury Tales. However, as a listened I could see that he really was telling the stories that I had read this summer, in a language I could actually understand.
In my opinion, Baba Brinkman’s introduction to his Rap Canterbury Tales was more interesting than his actual work. While his work was certainly unique, I frankly found that it failed to hold my attention. While I believe that putting it in contemporary rhyme scheme certainly made the Canterbury Tales more accessible, I still found that, though unique and an interesting concept, they bored me. I found the Preface much more interesting, as it dealt with subjects I knew little about: the parallels between rap and traditional English poetry, and the development of both as art forms.
On the surface, there appear to be no parallels between rap and English poetry. However, once one looks deeper, it is clear that in fact rap and English poetry are very similar, because, in a sense, rap IS poetry. Both were meant to provide a show for an audience, in fact, the Canterbury Tales were set up as a storytelling contest between the pilgrims on the journey; much like a modern freestyle contest or rap battle. Both also continue the oral tradition of poets, bards, minstrels, and other traveling storytellers.
Something else that surprised me was the evolution of hip-hop from various sources, from African oral tradition to Aztec warrior poets. The African connection seemed immediately obvious to me, even though I am no scholar of hip-hop. However, I admit that I read the phrase ‘Aztec warrior poets’, blinked, and then read it multiple times to make sure my eyes weren’t deceiving me. I had no idea the Aztecs had poetry, let alone something as awesome-sounding as warrior poets. Perhaps warrior poets were viewed as something similar to Renaissance gentlemen, especially in regards to the views expressed in Balthasar Castiglione’s book, The Courtier. Is that a thesis I just created? I think perhaps it might be.
I thought Brinkman’s “The Rap Canterbury Tales” was a very well thought-out analysis of the actual Canterbury Tales and its relation to rap music today. Although his arguments were unconventional, from a scholarly standpoint, it seems credible because he is really just analyzing a primary source (The Canterbury Tales) and drawing comparisons between the author’s and hip-hop artists’ audience and purpose. Just because his arguments utilize a medium generally considered “unscholarly” (hip-hop) doesn’t mean that the analysis of that medium or comparisons drawn to or from that medium cannot be scholarly.
I found Brinkman’s arguments concerning freestyling and rap battles and their similarity to the storytelling contests of The Canterbury Tales especially enticing. In particular, Brinkman’s analysis of the use of a storytelling contest to dramatize events and social issues and create tension interested me because it seemed so modern. For example, a Youtube search of “rap battle” brings up hundreds of grainy videos of amateur rappers freestyling and battling; it’s obvious that the underground hip-hop battling scene is still thriving today. When I read the parts of the Canterbury Tales, although I realized that the storytelling was a contest, I never realized the pressures that the pilgrims probably would have experienced, or the social consequences of sharing a weak or uninteresting story (the idea of negative feedback).
Although I believe that Brinkman makes the original Canterbury Tales more accessible to my generation, I don’t think he makes it any more relevant for the modern general population. The audience that the Canterbury Tales was written for is long since dead. Although I think this introduction makes it much easier for the general populace to understand the social context in which Chaucer wrote the Canterbury Tales, I don’t think this introduction, or any article positing similar arguments, will make The Canterbury Tales more seriously read by the everyday person. No matter how accessible you make it or how many connections you make between Chaucer’s work and modern society, the Canterbury Tales will not have as nearly as large of an impact on the 21st century than it had on the 14th century when it was written because the poem’s messages were much more important to the people it was originally directed than they are to people today.
After reading and discussing Baba Brinkman’s preface to his Rap Canterbury Tales project, I had mixed feelings regarding his many theories. He first discussed the way in which he came about creating this project, which was to develop a method of conveying the stories of the Canterbury Tales to students in a more captivating manner that it had previously been presented. I certainly agree with Brinkman, in that in order to keep a students interest, it is important to present the subject matter in a way that this generation can easily relate.
Another theory presented through Brinkman’s preface, which I felt was incredibly inaccurate, was his major comparison to how our generation now views rap music, versus the way in which society in Chaucer’s time period viewed the Canterbury Tales. He briefly mentions how rap music will soon become as respected by scholars as the Canterbury Tales have become respected today. The reason for my speculation to Brinkman’s proposal is due to the major divergence between the two genres. Chaucer’s literary genre incorporates a well thought out structure, along with good diction. The eloquence presented in Chaucer’s novel, however, cannot be found in the musical genre that Brinkman is relating to. I also disagree with Brinkman when he suggests that his new invention will change the way parents view rap. I believe that older people in our society view the hip-hop culture as being disrespectful and improper, despite the message it might be sending. They might not even take into account the effectiveness of Brinkman’s idea merely because of their preconceptions of rap music or simply because it pertains to the hip hop culture.
Although I disagree with some of his theories, I do admit that while listening to the rap in class, I found myself to be much more intrigued with the Canterbury Tales when they were being recited, as opposed to reading through the novel itself.
I thoroughly enjoyed Baba Brinkman’s interpretation of the Canterbury Tales. It was interesting to see how he made such a classic writing into something so modern. By translating it, it gave a better view point for someone of the modern day generation to read and understand. I do not believe that Brinkman’s ideas and thesis was less “scholarly” then compared those I read in the Penguin Canterbury Tales. Just because it is out of the norm, and not your traditional idea, doesn’t mean it has any less thought or value to it. By reading his work and seeing the background information given on the novel and even the history of rap shows this was something that was researched carefully. Brinkman had sources to backup everything he was saying, making his argument, in my opinion, very valid.
I have to say, Baba Brinkman's translation of The Canterbury Tales to rap is a creative way to present Chaucer’s literature. I found it beyond amazing that anyone could possibly even think of coming up with a rendition for The Canterbury Tales. Given that, The Canterbury Tales is probably seen as uninteresting and outdated to the modern world. His interpretation not only provides a better understanding of Chaucer’s impact on development of literature but also is more accessible to a new generation. Brinkman’s work helps readers to fully appreciate Chaucer’s literature in a way that is unique and easier to understand for young adults, particularly seeing as we entertain ourselves and are more familiar with modern rap. Many may argue that Brinkman’s translation is unscholarly than those of the Penguin Canterbury Tales, but I disagree. From just looking over his introduction, it is quite evident that Brinkman incorporates historical and literary (Old English) knowledge and input. He constructs a connection to the language of Chaucer’s literature; vernacular versus rap. In addition, the important morals and ideas from Chaucer’s are not altered; they remain the same. Brinkman’s ability to take The Canterbury Tales, a book I would say is rather complex for the people of today to read, and put a twist to it is quite astonishing.
While reading Canterbury Tales during the summer I would have never thought that someone could modernize until I read about Baba Brinkman. Baba Brinkman was very creative in making Chaucer's Fourteenth century masterpiece into a modern day rap. I found it very interesting how Brinkman compared the Canterbury Tales to rap battles and I believed he had a good point when saying Canterbury Tales is outdated.
I feel that the original Canterbury Tales can connect to Brinkman's rap in several ways. Canterbury Tales were written in iambic pentameter which is a poetry technique. I see rap similar to rhyming poetry because it has a rhyme scheme while telling a story. The iambic pentameter thus makes a clear connection to rapping. In addition I believe Brinkman's connection to rap battles was also appropriate. In Canterbury Tales, the stories told by the individuals are for entertainment while each individual tries to have a better story than the previous story tellers. In rap battles the artists create raps that tell life stories, some are more serious while others are lighter. Generally the opponents in a rap battle try to have a better piece than the other rapper. The rappers put in their own personalities in the piece like the Canterbury characters.
Although Canterbury Tales is one of Chaucer's successful works, I agree with Brinkman that it is outdated and difficult for students to completely understand and relate.
Baba Brinkman successfully modernized Canterbury Tales by performing it as a popular and modern rap. From my personal opinion I find music/rap easier to relate to and enjoy. By converting the Canterbury Tales to rap, Brinkman creates an easier way for students, who also enjoy music to understand and enjoy the outdated book. From watching Brinkman's performance I feel he does an excellent job in creating the characters while sticking with Chaucer's main focus.
I feel that although Brinkman's thesis is not very scholarly, it is still interesting and impressive. Chaucer wrote the Canterbury Tales in vernacular English, allowing the public to read it and understand it. His work was intended to be read aloud or for entertainment. Although Brinkman's rap does not seem like a superior connection I feel he successfully captures Chaucer's purpose. The rap is an entertaining piece that can be performed orally and understood by the public similar to Chaucer approach. I believe most writers strive to inspires others and it is clearly shown how Chaucer was able to inspire Brinkman's work. The Canterbury Tales were a creative and entertaining piece which I believe Brinkman captures perfectly and incorporates it into his rap successfully. Therefor I find Brinkman's rap a fantastic and appropriate spin on Chaucer's Canterbury Tales
“Experience precedes the formulation, and the spoken word precedes the written, but once you have read, I invite you to listen.”
One of Brinkman’s main arguments in favor of presenting Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales is the tradition of oral presentation. Chaucer wrote the Canterbury Tales in iambic pentameter in the vernacular English of his time (Middle English). Writing in the vernacular was a new idea in Chaucer’s time. Prior to the use of such language, most or all writing was in Latin, the language of the church. Thus, earlier writing almost always had religious themes and was only accessible to the clergy. Vernacular writing was an entirely new direction in the history of literature. Not only were not all of Chaucer’s themes religious, they were also available to many more people. Any literate person in England would have been able to read the Canterbury Tales, and that was the intention. The Canterbury Tales prove an excellent primary source, because of the details of different classes and common ideas, concerns and problems of 14th century, but they also served one of their key goals—entertainment to the masses. Although available to be read by anyone with a basic education, this still only included a small portion of the population. Thus, the Canterbury Tales’ tales were spread orally. They were read aloud.
This is why, Brinkman argues, the Canterbury Tales are so adaptable to hip-hop. This sort of performance continues the same method of reaching as many people as possible with the stories in the Canterbury Tales. This is becoming more and more important as less people seem to be willing to take the time to decipher Chaucer’s original Middle English, which seems on the verge of a foreign language. As Brinkman says, “The problem, as I saw it, was that Chaucer’s literacy importance has always been a function of his popularity, and his popularity was waning.” By combing Chaucer, a 666 Middle English poet with a modern form of entertainment, Brinkman greatly increases the number of people who will be responsive to, and listen to, the ideas of Chaucer. This makes Chaucer accessible to a new generation.
“Translating” the Canterbury Tales into hip-hop does not make it any less “scholarly.” Although perhaps unconventional, the same ideas are still there. When Chaucer wrote in the English vernacular, he was writing in a new and modern language—just as hip-hop is today. In Chaucer’s time, translating a written document (such as the Bible) from its original Latin into the spoken language did not make that document any less scholarly, only more accessible. The same holds true today. Although hip-hop isn’t a generally spoken language, it can still make Chaucer’s words more understandable and accessible.
Baba Brinkman’s Rap Canterbury Tales was an ingenious way to recreate the old English version of the story and turn it into something that the modern world could see fit to apprehend and enjoy. His work has influenced the interest of the younger generation toward the old stories of the fourteenth century. The Canterbury Tales were originally written in a technique called the iambic pentameter. Brinkman wanted to find a way to make the Canterbury Tales more enjoyable and accessible to those who either didn’t understand or had no interest in the way Chaucer had written his works. As Brinkman had discussed in his introduction, these stories are written for entertainment, and enjoyment. They are meant to be orally spoken and read to cause amusement for the reader. Nowadays, these stories are only enjoyable to those who have no trouble to understand the language or way the Canterbury Tales were written centuries ago. So Brinkman went ahead a chose a new median for which the tales were to be presented. Since hip hop and rap basically describes the modern world’s new genre of entertainment and music, it was a perfect way to present the Canterbury Tales. The Rap Canterbury Tales was a neat way make Chaucer’s work more accessible to a new generation especially since the “rap” version of it could spark interest among this new generation. The original intent of the tales, to entertain an audience, came back with the creation of Baba Brinkman’s new and more modern edition.
I do not believe that Brinkman’s Rap Canterbury Tales are any less “scholarly” than that of Chaucer’s. Brinkman’s tales are essentially just a rewrite of the original copy in a different “language”. Instead of the old fourteenth century English that Chaucer uses, Brinkman uses rap and hip hop to convey the story to his audience. Moreover, in Chaucer’s time, everyone read and understood stories and literature in his sort of language. Now, years later, times have changed and so have the staging of different types of entertainment. In essence, the problem was just time, and Brinkman fixed that by giving the old works a new modern twist.
Brinkman's take on "The Canterbury Tales," while utterly unconventional, is a fascinating analysis of the cultural roles of poetry in both the modern world as well as the Renaissance era. While many an English scholar would label Baba's comparison heretical, the writer provides a convincing, well-rounded, and most importantly, a well-researched analysis of poetry and its role in culture. I do believe that transposing Chaucer's work allows it to appeal to a broader audience among today's youth, without damaging the educational relevance of the book. Like The Canterbury Tales, rap music is written in colloquial language to appeal to a broad audience. The difference, of course, is that the vernacular English of The Canterbury Tales is far different than the "street slang" of today. Some would argue that this startling change removes a great deal of relevance from The Canterbury Tales, I feel that the word choice in the book is far less relevant than the fact that Chaucer writes in the vernacular- an effect that is most likely lost on the youth of today. Brinkman simply translates the poem into street slang, the same way any other foreign work is translated to English. I feel that Brinkman has succeeded in his goal of making The Canterbury Tales more accessible to modern youths.
I found Baba Brinkman's interpretation of the Canterbury Tale's to be intriguing at the very least. Although he does establish some solid points, and draws an accurate parallel to modern day hip-hop, in my opinion he overstreteched his thesis quite a bit. The main message Brinkman is trying to pass off in his writing is that there is a strong connection between Chaucer's literary style and modern hip-hop linguistics. He also emphasizes a connection between hip hop culture and the format of Chaucer's story (each of the pilgrim's stories can be viewed as "rap battles"). I do not question the validity of these points, but rather the relevancy, and Brinkman's need to over elaborate and stretch out his argument.
It is easy to see how Brinkman's work has become quite popular. It is a bit "less than scholarly" however to establish a thesis through the "poly-interperable" quotes of modern day hip hop icons such as Immortal Technique, or even my favorite, Tupac. This accomplishes nothing but an advance in the cool factor of reading "The Canterbury Tales".
In conclusion Brinkman definitely stretched out his thesis a litle too far. I would,however, credit him with sparking a previously unmentioned, but obvious discussion.
Despite this Brinkman's performing is quite entertaining...
I admire Baba Brinkman for undertaking such a huge, involved, and time consuming project, but I find it all a little presumptuous. The Canterbury Tales has survived for centuries, and is still being read, if only just in classrooms. A works true value can be seen in how well it stands the test of time. In the six centuries since it was first written The Canterbury Tales have somewhat miraculously not faded into obscurity, and that shows that even if the language and characters are outdated the emotions and messages remain relevant. I don’t think anyone really has the right to tamper with such a work.
I also think the use of the word rap was more a marketing ploy than anything else. It attracts a more diverse audience than probably almost anything else. There are those who listen to rap about hardship to try and feel like there is someone out there that understands what they’re going through. Then there are the people who listen to rap because they think it’s “cool”. There are also those who appreciate rap as a form of artistic expression and realize that, even when it sometimes just sounds like a lot of fast-talking, it takes just as much effort as writing a song, if not more. I do believe because of this, Brinkman did make Chaucer more accessible to a new generation, but I hold to the belief that anyone willing to put in the effort could understand and enjoy the Modern English translation of The Canterbury Tales. Also, even though it may be easier to understand the language in Brinkman’s rap of the book, I do not believe it is easier to understand Chaucer. I think to truly get the complete message, and to see what Chaucer was trying to say, one really has to read the original book (or at least the modern English translation).
After reading Baba Brinkman’s introduction to his Rap Canterbury Tales I was taken by surprise. I had no idea that someone would ever think of modernizing the original Canterbury Tales to make it more accessible to today’s youth. Also, Brinkman’s take on the Canterbury Tales was indeed original and creative. I thought it was interesting how he transformed difficult English poetry dating back to the 14th century into modern day rap, which is a complicated task. Many people have a common misconception of all rap and hip hop and how they tend to generalize it as vulgar and inapt. Therefore, Brinkman tries to clear these misconceptions by saying that not all rap and hip hop music is improper and inappropriate but it can be intelligent and rather educational. Additionally, he gives us a brief history of the origins of this art form. For instance rap originated from Africa, how it spread from country to country, and how every country has its own incorporated elements of rap and hip hop into their culture. I also thought it was interesting how he compares freestyle battles within the rap community today, in which rappers and MCs compete with each other to see who has the best wordplay to the original Canterbury Tales, in which the characters compete with each other to see who tells the best story.
At first when I heard about the Rap Canterbury Tales I was skeptical, however after listening to some of his pieces in class that made me change my decision. In fact they were really good and fun to listen to. Also, his music does not take away from the common messages and themes that Chaucer demonstrates in his literature. His music and rap greatly help when it comes down to comprehending the Canterbury Tales because he uses common words used today and not the complex syntax and diction used by Chaucer. He also allows people to see rap and the Canterbury Tales in a new light which I believe is quite remarkable. His work also gives young adults a better understanding of the development of British Literature, for example exposure to the original style Chaucer wrote in, which was iambic pentameter to what is now rap. I believe his translations are valid and well researched and are comparable to the Penguin Canterbury Tales, as well since they both convey the same basic ideas and messages to modern readers.
Baba Brinkman’s spin on the Canterbury Tales was a very unusual one but I feel his finished product was successful at what he wanted to achieve. He saw Chaucer’s work as only accessible to scholars and students of history; and wanted to allow Chaucer’s work to have as the same impact that it once had on the audience of his day. I like how he had the idea to connect the to things and how he executed it, the raps were easy to follow and painted the picture of Chaucer’s world very well. The part of Brinkman’s logic that I do not exactly agree with is how in future generations raps will be looked at as works as we view Chaucer. Yes I agree some rap does have intellectual content but to say that the majority of the culture will be viewed as great works and as having the same impact as Chaucer’s work doesn’t seem accurate. Then there are the views of his that are stretches to make in my mind like who can tell the best story to a rap battle. The basic concept is the same but it is in a different context.
I do feel his that raping the Canterbury Tales makes it more accessible to our generation simply because you don’t have to translate from Middle English to Modern English. I don’t feel, at least for my self, that putting in the rap context was any more appealing but hearing it in the modern language makes it easier to comprehend. As far as the language itself I don’t feel it is less ‘scholarly’ because of what he is trying to do with the story. Also for the time, Chaucer probably was not writing anything challenging to read (for those who were literate) he just wrote is as he would speak and there wasn’t too much that was scholarly about it besides the fact that it was written in the vernacular.
After reading Baba Brinkman’s thesis The Rap Canterbury Tales I felt myself only half convinced by his argument. The similarities he points out I found to be very interesting. While reading The Canterbury Tales I did not notice the interactions between the characters, but as Brinkman writes they are actually very important. They show the competition between the characters, which parallels modern rap battles. The need to be able to freestyle and create rhymes on the spot are skills needed for rappers, but also for poets or else they suffer the consequences of being criticized. Also one today often things of poetry as a written form of work, but I found it very interesting to how poetry was meant to be spoken at first and then it was transformed because of the printing press to become work that was more often read. This again draws another parallel to rap and poetry ass poetry and rap were both oral works.
The one thing that I missed in Brinkman’s piece was discussing the actually content of the poetry or rap. The Canterbury Tales were once seen as low class work as they were written in the vernacular and were for the common class today although we see them as an important scholarly work, Brinkman believes this to be like rap today and says that in the future rap could be seen as scholarly as well. The thing that I believe sets these two genres apart is the content of the work. In Chaucer’s work he makes very important observations and commentaries about the people of the time period. The great amount of historical content allows the book to teach the reader a great deal Renaissance society. This as well as the actual writing enables The Canterbury Tales to be so important today. The question is whether this is true for rap, will people one day really look back on rap as great literary work. While they might look at the writing from this perspective, I don’t think people will look at the content of it with the importance we do in literature from the Renaissance. While Chaucer’s work and rap were made for entertainment Chaucer gives historical and social insight in his and rap, while it may present current issues often isn’t very educational. Its not that rap is nonsense, but could it really be viewed as way to learn and understand our time period in the future. I just don’t think that it could, but really it’s hard to say what people are going to use to remember and learn about our current times.
Despite what I have said about Brinkman’s argument I do think that the raps are very interesting and a good idea. After listening to his version of “the Pardoner’s Tale” it made the story easier to understand hearing it in more modern terms. Yet the story stays intact and doesn’t loose it main ideas or content. The rap versions I really don’t think are less “scholarly” than the version we read. The themes and meanings of the stories and still be discussed and interpreted, it is just like skipping a step. One doesn’t have to determine what the story is actually saying before they start to analyze it. It is more like reading a book that is written in this time period. Books today aren’t considered less scholarly because we can understand the language of them. Thus the rap Canterbury Tales shouldn’t be penalized for this either.
Despite this I don’t think The Canterbury Tales in rap form could become real popular songs. The language is still formal and not like language in rap today. Also the idea of the songs being based on Renaissance poems would turn teens off from it as this literature isn’t considered usually the most exciting. It is still a good idea though, because by making the stories easier to understand teens can learn that they really are quite interesting and thus maybe so could other stories from British literature. And even thought the language may be hard the stories are still very interesting and can be applicable in life today.
babas word was a very intriguing article. when people listen to music they never give a thought on how the song was written or the reasoning behind it. being able to read an article on the formation of the canterbury tales rap was very interesting.
i think rewriting the canterbury tales in a way that can relate to the younger generation was a very smart thing to do. a lot of people, mostly kidsa nd teens, seem to stay clear of books that are difficult to understand, which definitely includes books that are written in middle english. but writing the canterbury tales as a form of music, something that internationally everyone listens to, easily can make hundreds of more people eligible to hear and learn about the stories originally written by Geoffrey Chaucer.
what i thought was really interesting about babas word was how he compared hip hop to literature by saying how 'hip hop was the site where literature is produced'. first the song is written and then from there it is recognized as a kind of poetry in literature.
also what was ind of interesting was how he only translated certain stories that he thought could connect with his audience the most, stories that revolved around the topics of sex and violence,
overall, i really enjoyed the article and though it was very interesting to read about the creation of the rap canturbury tales.
When I first read Brinkman's comparison of rap to the Canterbury Tales, I initially thought that his ideas were a little ridiculous. Thinking about the possibility of the Canterbury Tales relating to modern day rap seemed a little ridiculous at the time. However, after analyzing his argument, I found that many of his points were true although they may seemed like a bit of a stretch. Both the Canterbury Tales and rap are written in a common, simpler language so more people may be able to enjoy it. They share rhyming and rhythm schemes and are meant to be performed orally. While Baba's ideas may seem ridiculous at first, there is not denying that his arguing points are true.
I think that Baba's rap of the Canterbury Tales is a good opportunity for our younger generation to gain an appreciation for older works. Brinkman's rap simplifies the language so it is easier to understand and adds a certain quality of humor that makes Chaucer's work more fun and relaxed. Although this translation certainly has its advantages and retains Chaucer's ideas and purpose, it would certainly be considered less "scholarly" than the original Canterbury Tales because of its use of slang and modern language.
Overall I found Baba Brinkman's take on the Canterbury Tales very interesting. It certainly made me look and analyze Chaucer's work in a completely different perspective.
Never did Chaucer imagine that his influential work would be performed in the hip-pop style six hundred years later. Brinkman, an English major who incorporated essential hip-pop elements into the oral performance of The Canterbury Tales and even recomposed the tales in contemporary English language. When I first heard this idea, I thought it to be ridicule and degradation to one of the most well-known and venerated piece of literature (also my personal favorite) in the history of the English language. I have to admit that after reading Brinkman’s introduction to The Rap Canterbury Tales, my callous opinions of him have altered indubitably.
Brinkman was first inspired when he was doing research for his English graduate thesis paper. The aim of the paper was to compare the “relationships in hip-pop lyrics and the Canterbury Tales.” While spending a large amount of time in the world of miscellaneous English classic poems, Brinkman found breathtaking similarities between Geoffrey Chaucer’s tales and rap lyrics. Because of his immense admiration for both Chaucer and the art of hip-pop, Brinkman aspired to integrate the Middle English literary work with the constituents of hip pop. His focal argument for doing so is that the eminence of Chaucer’s masterwork is gradually declining in our society because of its archaic and esoteric language. Therefore by “translating” the Middle English into modern rap language, the Tales are more accessible and comprehensive to the public. Brinkman further explains that Chaucer’s work was intended to be read aloud since most of the Middle Ages readers were illiterate. The oral recitation of the Tales resembles the most salient characteristic of rap—that the story of each song must be voiced by an artist. Also the structure of the Tales is similar to free-style battling; in both scenarios, the performer must entertain his audience and judges with improvised works. If the performance is unsatisfying, the performer will receive both criticisms from the audience and the judges. In addition, similar polysyllabic rhyming schemes are employed by both Chaucer and rap artists.
I consent that Brinkman’s stands are convincing but unrealistic. Geoffrey Chaucer wrote his masterpiece to entertain his countrymen; he however, also aimed at exposing the social structure, culture, and vices of the fifteenth-century England (in a satirical way). By writing the Tales in contemporary English, some of the original intentions that Chaucer had in mind may be neglected. I watched two of Brinkman’s performances, there was definitely a humorous component in his acts. As matter of fact, the use of obscene and unsophisticated expressions, the pace at which the performance was delivered, and the heavy beat of the background music were distracting; the morals of each tale did not get across to the audience. I admit that I did have a great laugh at the performance and my criticisms are too unforgiving. I am a fanatic of British Victorian literature—I love the sophistication and the flowery tone of the language. Brinkman’s simplistic language seemed crude to me, hence not arousing my acceptance.
Nevertheless I praise Brinkman for his unique and novel idea and courage. The Rap Canterbury Tales may be unrelated to The Canterbury Tales, but I witnessed resemblances between Brinkman and Chaucer. During the fifteenth century, while Latin was the language that most literary works were written in, Chaucer chose to write his work in the English vernacular. He also included a wide social spectrum of characters. These innovations were sole features that distinguished Chaucer’s Tales from other Middle Ages works. If Chaucer were alive, he would certainly have accoladed Brinkman’s unconventional approach to his work and for acquiring similar dispositions.
Though never a fan of rap myself, I think that Baba Brinkman’s transformation of The Canterbury Tales, from a difficult to comprehend piece into a rap accessible to all, is a brilliant and praiseworthy accomplishment. His work makes Chaucer more accessible than it does to provide a better understanding of Chaucer, though that is not to say that it does not provide insight into the author.
The reason this new view into The Canterbury Tales gives sight to a new generation is because it is written in the language of our time. Children now-a-days don’t know what this “Whoso shal telle a tale after a man, He moot reherce as ny as evere he kan Everich a word, if it be in his charge, Al speke he never so rudeliche and large, Or ellis he moot telle his tale untrewe, Or feyne thyng, or fynde wordes newe” might mean because it isn’t the way we talk or write anymore. It’s like giving a text from our time to someone 10,000 years from now and seeing if they can understand what is written on the page. Rap also has a rhythmic beat to it, which makes it more tolerable to the ear if you subtract the distracting background music. This alone may attract people of all ages to gather and listen to Baba perform.
The way in which this new form of the Canterbury Tales may provide insight into Chaucer is that once the text is translated into a more understandable form, the humor and ideas of the stories come out, which greatly reflect the author’s attitude toward what he writes about and what could possibly have influenced him to write what he did. In Chaucer’s case, the rap version of the tales shows Chaucer’s knowledge of different classes during his time, as well as his attitude toward them. Through the themes of the tales the reader can see that Chaucer takes many of his ideas from other stories that had circulated during his time, as well as tales that he himself might have heard.
Finally, Baba’s translations are not any less scholarly than the ones in the Penguin Canterbury Tales. One may think, “Oh, it is rap so it must be a dumbed down version of the tales just so it’s easy to understand,” but the truth is that the rap may be more scholarly than the Penguin version. It incorporates the fact that there are all different levels of educated individuals out there who may pick up a copy of the Canterbury Tales and read it yet do not understand a single thing that is happening, just like putting a blind man who only understands English in front of a movie in Chinese and expecting him to give you a full account of what happens when the movies over (it’s not going to happen). At the same time, the rap keeps the rhythm established in the Penguin version as well as creating a performance that makes the tales even more accessible to everybody. For these reason, it is an insult to say that Brinkman’s rap version of the Canterbury Tales are less scholarly than other versions of Chaucer’s piece.
AnnMarie Augusto
Mr. Kirby
AP European History
24 September 209
Baba Brinkman commenced his rap career at the age of nineteen; free styling and writing music and poetry in his hometown, Vancouver, Canada. Before learning about Baba Brinkman, I did not make any connections between music and Old English Literature. Baba’s Word, and Brinkman’s actual rap tales, greatly convinced me that there is a strong correlation between the two. I believe Brinkman was incredibly clever to alter the Canterbury Tales into a music version due to its accessibility toward our young generation. Today, music is a universal medium that everyone enjoys and can relate to. By converting the Canterbury Tales to rap, Brinkman was able to achieve an easier way for people to understand the messages that the tales portray. Also, Brinkman presented the tales in such a way that more people would take the time to learn, analyze, and enjoy them at their own leisure. I do believe that altering the Old English language into a rap version did result in some minor details to be omitted. Reading the Old English poetry that Geoffrey Chaucer wrote in iambic pentameter was specific, detailed, and embracing. In my opinion, Brinkman’s rap version is somewhat detailed, but focuses more on the main point. Despite this, I do not think the Rap Canterbury Tales are any less “scholarly” than the Penguin Canterbury Tales. I think Brinkman’s version does stay true to Chaucer’s content and message he was trying to get across through poetry.
The style of Baba Brinkman’s perspective on the Canterbury Tales took me by surprise. I wasn’t really interested in learning about Brinkman or the work he had done of the Canterbury Tales until I actually listened to one of his tales in class. I was impressed at Brinkman’s catchy rhythm and how well I followed along and understood what he was saying. In society today, rappers usually make music that is indecipherable and hard to comprehend. I assumed that Brinkman’s work would also be difficult to understand, but was pleasantly astonished at his interpretations.
Baba Brinkman’s Rap Canterbury Tales help our generation understand the development and maturity of British Literature. I do believe that Brinkman’s work is closely related to the Penguin Canterbury Tales. I am looking forward to listening to more of Brinkman’s rap tales, and also getting the chance to see him perform his phenomenon in person.
Baba Brinkman is a very interesting person. Very few people would ever think of putting rap and medieval English literature together. Let alone thinking that this could be a very useful tool in teaching a very difficult piece of literature to a new generation. The rap he creates is a teaching instrument that is very easy to follow and can help to supplement a person’s understanding of the book and the tales in it. The rap should not be a substitute though for the book. You could call the rap a king of spark notes that is musically inclined. The rap may be less scholarly in the language that is used and the way that the thoughts are put forth, but the core message is the same as in the book. He does not deviate very far or at all from the plot of the book’s tales so the rap he creates is a credible source.
Baba Brinkman’s goal of making the Canterbury Tales more accessible to a wider demographic is a noble idea. In the prologue, Brinkman talks about how he always thought that the reason why many didn’t read the Canterbury Tales was because no one could associate with the language that it was written on. Brinkman wanted to change that, by re-writing the Tales with a twist. He wanted to use modern day rap to write the book. The idea behind this was that, if he re-wrote the classic book with a twist, then many of the modern day scholars would pick it up and read it. So did it work? I certainly enjoyed listening to Baba Brinkman’s interpretation of this classic tale, a lot more than reading it. The integration of rap and hip-hop beats, made it easy for me to follow some of the stories, and I actually understood more about the story, than when I did from my reading. Baba’s interpretation of the story also didn’t really affect the message that Chaucer’s original had. The only thing that was different was the language that was used to write the original. Overall Brinkman was able to accomplish his goal without compromising any of Chaucer’s ideas. I think Brinkman’s work can help the new generation understand the “Canterbury Tales” a lot easier, than if they actually had to read it. Some might say that the use of rap to tell a story is less “scholarly” than picking up a book and reading it. That certainly isn’t the case here. Even though “The Rap Canterbury Tales’ is told using slang words, the same can be said for the original Canterbury Tales. When Chaucer’s first published this book, it was written in the common language of the people. No one then considered it “scholarly” to read, but as time went on, the public began to appreciate what Chaucer had done and soon the book spread worldwide. Maybe the same will be the case for “The Rap Canterbury tales”. Even though some might frown upon this piece of literature now, maybe the people will appreciate it in the near future.
Baba Brinkman’s version of the Canterbury Tales is intriguing. It takes a piece of literature that has fallen by the wayside, and transforms it into something more accessible to a modern audience; ultimately, a good result. However, it reduces the historical integrity and originality of the book, as sacrifices to this accessibility. Thus, as a student, I find myself caught between a more scholarly criticism of Brinkman’s thesis, and relief for being able to better understand and enjoy Chaucer’s basic storyline. Ultimately, it is important to realize that just because Baba Brinkman developed a new take on a classic, it doesn’t mean that that classic disappears. The original Canterbury Tales is still available, and made more understandable by interpretations like Brinkman’s.
I find myself enjoying Baba Brinkman’s Rap Canterbury Tales. His was a clever idea; he correlated the vernacular of the Renaissance with rap music of today; a somewhat unconventional and creative means of expression. His thesis makes sense from a non-traditional standpoint, and more than anything else, I appreciated his innovation.
I absolutely agree with Baba Brinkman's interpretation of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. It is easy to see how much the tales relate to modern day rapping.
First, storytellers on the pilgrimmage all told their stories orally, giving as much emphasis and personal style as possible. That same inclusion of emotion and passion is seen in modern day rapping. The tales also had a systematic growth of "one upping" the previous storyteller. Brinkman compares this to rap battles of today, and I see his connections. His points of reference between the two ar prefecly valid.
Also, I think that the tales needed to be rewritten. While reading the Canterbury Tales, there were times I felt as though I was translating the story from a different language. Students of today aren't going to take away as much if they have trouble reading it. But, after listening to Baba Brinkman's interpretation, one can easily understand the message of the story in modern day terms.
As far as his scholarly value in comparison with the original, I don't think that his work is equal with Chaucer. I say this because if a student were to just pick up all of Baba's work and read or watch them be performed, I dont think that they would be able to take away as great an understanding of England in the Middle Ages. I'm pretty sure this person would have been much more entertained, but they wouldn't be learning as much, was our purpose for reading the tales.
Salman Rahman
AP Euro
Mr. Kirby
Baba Brinkman’s introduction to the Rap Canterbury Tales is certainly a unique and unconventional approach to Chaucer’s famous work of literature the Canterbury Tales. However, the writer does establish a clear understanding of Chaucer’s work before writing the Rap Canterbury Tales as his writing proves. He clearly states that his goal was to make this great piece of literature be able to delight listening audiences. Brinkman’s idea of making the Canterbury Tales available to modern generation through rap in plain simple modern day English is indeed phenomenal.
I believe his work does make Chaucer more accessible to new generation and help provide a better understanding of Chaucer’s work through entertainment. It is also true that Brinkman on some cases stretched Chaucer and the originality of Chaucer’s work is lost. However, most of Brinkman’s work is based on Chaucer and in modern day very few people is capable of understanding the meaning and clear interpretation after reading the Canterbury Tales as written by Chaucer. Today most high school graduates do not recognize Chaucer or any of his great works. Therefore, I thought if the Canterbury Tales were to expose to them through Brinkman’s style it would be easier for them to understand and could potentially mean that all sorts of European History classes could make Chaucer available to today’s generation, since The Canterbury Tales is in fact not written in plain simple English as Brinkman’s version of rap.
However, Brinkman’s work is definitely not as scholarly as the Penguin Canterbury Tales. His work does not explore all the depths of the subject precisely and as stated earlier he overstretched the meanings I believe in different parts by putting his own thoughts. Brinkman is too optimistic of a person but someone can never tell if his beliefs would be true in future. When looking back at historical works, scholars I believe often find things that even the actual creator might not have thought of and try finding exceptionally great meanings. So, Brinkman’s Rap Canterbury Tales could be interpreted as a great source of primary history of the modern era in future.
And I do admire Brinkman's creativity with the Canterbury Tales.
Baba Brinkman’s urban spin on Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales is definitely one of the most modern and cultural interpretations of his masterpiece to date. Although critics may dismiss such interpretations, I find the rap validates the Tales in many ways. Throughout the rap, Baba explains the connection to the Tales, and the piece also shows his great knowledge towards the Tales. His ability to transform Old English Poetry to modern day rap is especially applaudable. I loved his ability to correlate Chaucer’s work to rap today, how his tales were used merely as entertainment purposes (much like rap today) and how it eventually became an educational tool for academic institutions worldwide. I personally enjoy his correlation involving how the competition of Tales is much like a modern day rap battle; a very interesting and thoughtful interpretation. Baba’s knowledge of the Tales literally oozes out of his piece, and is clearly evident in his explanations.
I personally believe that his work will undeniably make Chaucer’s work more accessible and understandable to a younger generation, as well as understand a better understanding of his writing, and old English literature in general. His rap allows young people to better relate to the topic, and allows them to better understand the moral of the stories. As far as general development of literature in Britain, I don’t believe his rap will have such an impact. The impact is primarily on the Tales and enabling young people to understand the concepts better. Despite such minor pitfalls, I believe that, overall, Baba was able to successfully relate such dated literature to today’s youth.
Baba Brinkman's introduction to the Canterbury Tales was indeed effective in bringing Chaucer's messages to a modern audience. By transforming the work, formerly decipherable only to scholars, through the popular medium of hip-hop, he brought its universal message closer to home for many.
In his introduction, Baba Brinkman describes the connections between his interpretation in the hip-hop style and the traditional scholarly views of the Canterbury Tales as a work of literature. I found his explanations to bring a new perspective on what I had formerly perceived to be a esoteric piece. In comparing the "competition" between the storytellers in Chaucer's work and modern day rap battles, I better understood some of the motives of the characters in the work as a piece of literature, and also found ways in which each of the characters incorporated their backgrounds into the stories, offering a historical perspective on British literature in the transition between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.
Although some might consider Brinkman's translations less "scholarly" than those of more formalized editions, I believe that the most important aspect of his work was popularizing the themes that are universal. As Brinkman says in his preface, he translated only those stories "with a coherent narrative thread, a solid and conclusive ending, and intrigues involving those old stalwarts of pop culture: sex and violence." In the end, an analysis of the Canterbury Tales need not be literarily based or historically based - as a reader, it is also our duty to fulfill Chaucer's original purpose for his work: to entertain. Brinkman's interpretation certainly brings Chaucer's work back to its original meaning - a great task indeed for a work generally considered to be archaic.
At the time of the publication of The Canterbury Tales, Chaucer was experimenting with writing in the vernacular, a work very rarely tread upon by any writers of the time. To compare these works to rap music, a genre that has been alive for over 30 years with millions of songs and at least thousands of artists, has some finer points, but overall is more or less a pretentious attempt at a thesis with unresearched points.
Growing up a white Canadian, Brinkman was always a fan of rap and hip hop music, and always wanted to be an artist. Probably knowing the handicap, very few people other than his peers probably would have taken him seriously. So his project, The Rap Canterbury Tales was his attempt at verifying himself as an artist and making ground with some validity. What could definitely have been a very true thesis turned out to be several points all rooted in his desire, though.
He does however raise some valid points. It is true, that both are rhyming genres of “literature” that are made for oral recitation and for entertainment. And yes, decades and/or centuries in the future scholars looking back upon rap music will revel at the language they use. That is about it though.
“It may not mean nothin to yall
but understand nothin was done for me
so i dont plan of stoppin at all
i want this shit forever mayne
im shuttin shit down in the mall
and tell every girl she the one for me
and i aint even plannin to call
i want this shit forever mayne”
It’s also very hard to buy into the fact that future scholars will look back upon rap lyrics to analyze all intellect, political/social significance, et cetera, that rappers have.
Rap music has long since its birth passed as a progressive genre, it is now no more progressive than rock music; it is just a commonplace subgenre of pop that has several of its own radio stations and many followers. When The Canterbury Tales was published, there were no other popular works in the vernacular other than The Decameron, and otherwise was only a colloquial language. With the publication of the Tales, however, common writing languages began to change.
Brinkman’s Rap Tales are no more or less scholarly than a modern translation (such as the Penguin Tales) of them. They are basically the same, except with even more rhymes. His project was an interesting attempt, but, I at least did not buy into it.
Below this is LATE!
Baba Brinkman's rap was definitely an interesting interpretation to The Canterbury Tales. I personally believe that he did a good job translating a 14th century manuscript to a conetemporary rhyme style. By doing this, I certainly think that he attracts more attention and adds entertainment to an old and outdated reading that although is a classic, can be boring and hard to understand at times.
Chaucer intended the Canterbury Tales to be orally recited to captivate audiences, and the I believe the rap also serves this purpose; it is orally recited and contains a ryhthmic pattern. using rap is brilliant not only for the rhyming and reciting, it allows for creativity, appeals to the youth, and provides entertainment. Rap is also generally easy to understand, which agrees to Chaucer's intents of writing the tales in the vernacular so less-educated people were able to undestand it.
I don't really think that Brinkamn's translations are less "scholarly: than those of the Pengiun Canterbury tales, as they generally convey the same message.
Thus, I believe Baba Brinkman's Rap Catnerbury Tales project truly transforms an outdated classic into a more entertaining and contemporary peice that makes it more accesible to youth.
While Brinkman's approach to recite The Canterbury Tales is unique and maybe a little ove rthe top, it is a good interpretation of the classic. In his paper he states a thesis and backs it up with information that makes sense. While scholars for the most part don't agree with what he's done, making The Canterbury Tales into a rap is a great way for today's students to connect. The outdated language in the original work makes it difficult for students to get through them, whereas Chaucer's rendition allows the students to hear the story be told in more modern language, but the same moral gets across. The information that Chaucer uses to support his thesis brings the rap Canterbury Tales into the 21st century.
Baba Brinkman's interpretation of Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales is a unique way of the classic. He does a good job, making the english literature into something fun and easier to comprehend for most students. The Rap Canterbury Tales is in modern day english, so it makes it easier for the audience to get whats going on the storys. It is more accessible. The two pieces of literature are both written in their own time period, helping restore the ideas of Chaucer in a more present day sense. The Rap Canterbury Tales seems more relevant to the reader as well and helps Chaucer's work from becoming irrelevant too. The Rap Canterbury Tales is definitely not less scholarly than the original Canterbury Tales, it just has its own twist where it is modernized and has a rhythm sequence and rhyme pattern to it. I believe that The Canterbury Tales and hip-hop have much in common just as Brinkman has portrayed in his Rap Canterbury Tales.
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